Charest named ­Minister of the Status of Women, ­immediately critiques the hijab

By Gordon Lambie with Emilie Hackett – Brome Missisquoi MNA Isabelle Charest was named the new Provincial Minister for the Status of Women on Tuesday. According to a Canadian Press report, one of her first public statements following the nomination was that the wearing of the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, does not correspond to her values and is a symbol of oppression. She reportedly said at the same time that she feels all women should be free to wear what they want. Charest did not respond to any of several attempts to contact her on Wednesday. See full story in the Thursday, Feb. 7 edition of The Record.